Colt 1903 .32 & 1908 .380 - Question

Hello Everyone - I am brand new to the site and wanted to open up with a quick story and a question or two...

To start - I have never owned a Colt ... yet ... and I'm relatively new to the "older" guns

I walked into my local gun shop this week and was looking for a Ruger SR1911
Finding out it was going to be a lot harder than just walking in to a random shop to find one
So I browsed around for a while then,
I was astonished to see another customer looking at a Colt 1908 .380 with a leather holster & also a Colt 1903 .32
A weird coincidence, because I was just reading an article about both guns the previous night in the new addition of G&A Handguns
I told him that I stop back next week if I was interested

-So my questions are... What does everyone think about the Colt 1903 & 1908 ?
(The gentleman who wrote the article said they were a couple of his favorite guns he owned)

For someone that wanted to get into the collecting of "older" guns, would either or both of these be a nice starting point for the Colt World?

Finally, if and when I go back, what would be a good offer be on either or both?
The 1908 is in (for me) really nice condition, minimal scratches/ wear maybe a 7 out of 10
The 1903 has a crack on the one grip and a little more wear maybe a 5 out of 10

+1 what TBFH said. If planning for collection starters be aware there are 4 types of the 1903 model as well as a parkerized 3 1/4" marked U.S. Property serial number range is 554447-572214 are worth nearly double the non military issue pistols.
The model 1908 has 3 types as well as a U.S. Property marked this time in blue finish with serial numbers 134500-138000 they are also worth double or a bit more than the non military.
A word of caution about the military issue on both these models. They are often called generals guns and many were issued to generals, these are worth another roughly $1,000.00 more but must have proof (paper work tying a gun by serial number to a particular general usually) for that premium price.
You best bet is get at lest a copy of the Blue Book of Gun Values the prices may or may not be good but the information should help you not make a high priced new collectors mistake. If you want more information there are a number of good collector guides in print that will tell you what to look for to properly ID Model, type, quantity, and so on.

Both are good guns and if the price is rifgt you will not lose money. What do you want your collections for display or use or both? A display case collection then no they would not be a place to start but If you just want to collect old style shooters then yes they would be a good place to start.

get the 1908. excellent carry gun and enough punch to be effective. most 32s ain't got enough guts to do the job. suggest hollow points.

This is a really old thread, guys: No "action" for about two years.

1. If you're using a .380 (as I do), you had better be a really, really good, instinctive shooter. The .380 is a minimum-strength self-defense cartridge.
2. The difference between .380 ACP and .32 ACP self-defense cartridges is small. The .380 has only a very small ballistic edge, and even is bettered by some .32 ACPs.
3. Some people knowledgeable about self-defense suggest using full-metal-jacket bullets, for improved penetration. (I use hollow-points.)